Mauck Meeting House (Mill Creek Church) - Hamburg VA
N 38° 39.494 W 078° 30.788
17S E 716389 N 4281785
A meeting house built by the first Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley was also used as a Baptist church.
Waymark Code: WMD6A6
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2011
Views: 5
The Mauck Meeting House was built by the Mennonites in the Shenandoah valley during the 1700s. The first settlers into the area frequently held religious services and gatherings in private homes, but by 1740, they decided to build a meeting house where all could attend meetings and formal church services. The history is sketchy, some sources say that the current meeting house or Mill Creek Church was actually built, or restored, c. 1797 by a group organized as the Mill Creek Baptist Church. Even though Daniel Mauck, who owned the land, is sometimes attributed with building the original meeting house, it is more likely that he was instrumental in its renovation.¹
According to the Page County Heritage Association
, the Mauck Meeting House was used by the Baptists from 1790 to 1899. In 1851, the exterior log walls were covered with white weatherboards and roofed with chestnut shingles. Heat was provided by a large stove made at the local iron furnace. The chimney and tin roof were installed later.² It was renovated sometime after 1959 when the weatherboards were removed and the log walls were restored.³
The Mauck Meeting House/Mill Creek Church was added to the NRHP in 1976. There is a Virginia Historic Landmark plaque mounted on the outside wall to the right of the front door. It is located in the small town of Hamburg just off Rt. 211 in Luray. The grounds are available anytime, but the building is locked and shuttered.
¹ The Mill Creek Church (Mauck Meeting House) - Part I: A History of the Mauck Meeting House
² PCHA Museums
³ Mill Creek Church, op. cit., Part I
Additional Resources: